Game story
In Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season on 2021-12-19, the Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the New York Giants, pulling away with a 21–6 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 9 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) paced the passing game, with +0.86 total EPA, and +7.0% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Schultz (Dallas Cowboys) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +4.96 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-16.4% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when New York Giants changed the game: (6:51) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass short middle intended for 3-S.Shepard INTERCEPTED by 26-J.Lewis (90-D.Lawrence) [90-D.Lawrence] at NYG 31. 26-J.Lewis pushed ob at NYG 13 for 18 yards (28-D.Booker).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| New York Giants | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Schultz · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +4.96 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.62 EPA/play
- 2 D. Booker · New York Giants · Rushing · +3.77 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.47 EPA/play
- 3 C. Lamb · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +2.56 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.28 EPA/play
- 4 T. Pollard · Dallas Cowboys · Rushing · +2.37 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.20 EPA/play
- 5 E. Engram · New York Giants · Receiving · +1.95 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play
- 6 J. Sprinkle · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +1.87 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.94 EPA/play
- 7 K. Rudolph · New York Giants · Receiving · +1.15 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.15 EPA/play
- 8 C. Johnson · New York Giants · Receiving · +1.10 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.10 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Schultz — DAL · Receiving
D. Schultz posted the highest total EPA (+4.96) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Dallas Cowboys's efficiency. Across 8 counted snaps, they averaged +0.62 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.58 EPA) came from New York Giants: (6:51) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass short middle intended for 3-S.Shepard INTERCEPTED by 26-J.Lewis (90-D.Lawrence) [90-D.Lawrence] at NYG 31. 26-J.Lewis pushed ob at NYG 13 for 18 yards (28-D.Booker).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Dallas Cowboys — E. Elliott
- Dallas Cowboys — D. Schultz (D. Prescott pass)
Field goals
- New York Giants — G. Gano
- Dallas Cowboys — G. Zuerlein
- Dallas Cowboys — G. Zuerlein
- Dallas Cowboys — G. Zuerlein
- New York Giants — G. Gano
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 6–3. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the NYG 13 (Q1 51:37) — (6:37) (Shotgun) 21-E.Elliott up the middle for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants connected on a field goal from the DAL 17 (Q1 45:42) — (:42) 5-G.Gano 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon..
The second quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 9–0. Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the NYG 8 (Q2 40:34) — (10:34) 2-G.Zuerlein 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the NYG 24 (Q2 31:43) — (1:43) 2-G.Zuerlein 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the NYG 9 (Q2 30:03) — (:03) 2-G.Zuerlein 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger..
The third quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 6–3. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the DAL 24 (Q3 27:10) — (12:10) 5-G.Gano 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the NYG 1 (Q3 17:03) — (2:03) 4-D.Prescott pass short middle to 86-D.Schultz for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New York Giants (Q1 51:51) — (6:51) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass short middle intended for 3-S.Shepard INTERCEPTED by 26-J.Lewis (90-D.Lawrence) [90-D.Lawrence] at NYG 31. 26-J.Lewis pushed ob at NYG 13 for 18 yards (28-D.Booker).
- New York Giants (Q3 28:48) — (13:48) 28-D.Booker left end to DAL 35 for 31 yards (18-D.Kazee). PENALTY on DAL-18-D.Kazee, Horse Collar Tackle, 15 yards, enforced at DAL 35.
- New York Giants (Q2 30:49) — (:49) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 26-S.Barkley up the middle to NYG 41 for 1 yard (90-D.Lawrence). FUMBLES (90-D.Lawrence), RECOVERED by DAL-91-C.Watkins at NYG 46. 91-C.Watkins to NYG 46 for no gain (78-A.T
- Dallas Cowboys (Q2 30:03) — (:03) 2-G.Zuerlein 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.
- New York Giants (Q3 19:30) — (4:30) 2-M.Glennon up the middle to NYG 29 for no gain (96-N.Gallimore; 90-D.Lawrence).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New York Giants (Q1 51:51) — (6:51) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass short middle intended for 3-S.Shepard INTERCEPTED by 26-J.Lewis (90-D.Lawrence) [90-D.Lawrence] at NYG 31. 26-J.Lewis pushed ob at NYG 13 for 18 yards (28-D.Booker).
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 8:32) — (8:32) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott sacked at DAL 19 for -6 yards (59-L.Carter). FUMBLES (59-L.Carter) [59-L.Carter], RECOVERED by NYG-98-A.Johnson at DAL 27.
- New York Giants (Q3 28:48) — (13:48) 28-D.Booker left end to DAL 35 for 31 yards (18-D.Kazee). PENALTY on DAL-18-D.Kazee, Horse Collar Tackle, 15 yards, enforced at DAL 35.
- New York Giants (Q4 8:19) — (8:19) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass incomplete deep left to 19-K.Golladay (7-T.Diggs). Dallas challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass deep left inten
Quarterback report card
D.Prescott led all passers in efficiency for Dallas Cowboys, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D.Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) · 41 dropbacks · 68.3% completion · +7.0% CPOE · +0.02 EPA/play · +0.86 total EPA
- M.Glennon (New York Giants) · 25 dropbacks · 52.0% completion · -12.3% CPOE · -0.52 EPA/play · -13.11 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.004 | -0.237 |
| Offensive success rate | 44.7% | 36.7% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.021 | -0.361 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.059 | -0.208 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.237 | -0.004 |
| Defensive success rate | 63.3% | 55.3% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Dallas Cowboys generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.00 vs -0.24), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Dallas Cowboys: 11 drives, +0.36 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
- New York Giants: 10 drives, -18.70 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Dallas Cowboys leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- D. Schultz (Dallas Cowboys) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- D. Prescott (DAL) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- M. Glennon (NYG) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q1 51:37 · NYG 13 · Score 6-0
(6:37) (Shotgun) 21-E.Elliott up the middle for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Giants FG (+3) — Q1 45:42 · DAL 17 · Score 6-3
(:42) 5-G.Gano 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q2 40:34 · NYG 8 · Score 9-3
(10:34) 2-G.Zuerlein 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q2 31:43 · NYG 24 · Score 12-3
(1:43) 2-G.Zuerlein 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q2 30:03 · NYG 9 · Score 15-3
(:03) 2-G.Zuerlein 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - New York Giants FG (+3) — Q3 27:10 · DAL 24 · Score 15-6
(12:10) 5-G.Gano 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 17:03 · NYG 1 · Score 21-6
(2:03) 4-D.Prescott pass short middle to 86-D.Schultz for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
The Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants 21-6 in Week 15, 2021 on 2021-12-19.
What was the final score of Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
The final score was Dallas Cowboys 21, New York Giants 6 (DAL 21-6 NYG) in Week 15, 2021 on 2021-12-19.
What was the score by quarter in Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
Q1: Dallas Cowboys 6, New York Giants 3; Q2: Dallas Cowboys 9, New York Giants 0; Q3: Dallas Cowboys 6, New York Giants 3; Final: Dallas Cowboys 21, New York Giants 6.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
Dallas Cowboys touchdown — E. Elliott (Q1 51:37) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — D. Schultz (D. Prescott pass) (Q3 17:03) New York Giants field goal — G. Gano (Q1 45:42, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — G. Zuerlein (Q2 40:34, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — G. Zuerlein (Q2 31:43, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — G. Zuerlein (Q2 30:03, 3 pts) New York Giants field goal — G. Gano (Q3 27:10, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), 68.3% completion, +7.0% CPOE, +0.02 EPA per dropback, +0.86 total passing EPA. M. Glennon (New York Giants), 52.0% completion, -12.3% CPOE, -0.52 EPA per dropback, -13.11 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants?
D. Schultz (Dallas Cowboys) led the game in total EPA with +4.96 on receiving plays. across 8 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.58 EPA): (6:51) (Shotgun) 2-M.Glennon pass short middle intended for 3-S.Shepard INTERCEPTED by 26-J.Lewis (90-D.Lawrence) [90-D.Lawrence] at NYG 31. 26-J.Lewis pushed ob at NYG 13 for 18 y. The biggest win-probability swing was -16.4%.
Season records after this game
Dallas Cowboys
Entered 9-4 Now 10-4 W
New York Giants
Entered 4-9 Now 4-10 L
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